Bans on Food, Cultural and Health-Related

Bans on food, for a multitude of reasons, are ubiquitous in all societies. They are put in place to prohibit the consumption of particular foodstuffs that are deemed harmful to communities or in some cases, entire countries. Bans are often a point of contention in many societies because, on the one hand, they can bring about unwanted change in food practices for some members of the community, while on the other hand, for some, they are welcome alterations in the way in which communities produce and consume food. Food bans may be held in place in a particular community for centuries; other bans, such as those enforced due to concerns over contamination or food shortages, tend to be short lived in nature. Bans affect the ...